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“Get the fuck in there,” he snarled in my ear. “Move your damn feet.”
I hiccupped and followed him into the building. Protesters were screaming at us from the street, calling me a baby killer and a murderer. I wanted to yell at them that this wasn’t my choice, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t stop crying long enough to form any kind of words.
Dad signed me in and then pulled me over to a seat in the empty waiting room. “Clean yourself up,” he sneered, thrusting tissues at me. I had no idea where he’d found them. “You brought this on yourself.”
I didn’t get a chance to even try to dry my face before a nurse opened the door and called my name. She took one look at my face and frowned, flickering her eyes to my dad next. “Come on, hun,” she said softly.
I followed her into the back. She gently led me to an office and sat me down in a chair before taking a seat next to me. “I’m going to ask you something, and I need you to be one hundred percent honest with me. Can you do that?”
I nodded, hiccupping again. “Honey, are you being forced here?”
I sobbed, nodding my head again, my voice still not working. She ran her hand over my hair, and I cried harder at the soothing gesture. “That man out there, whoever he is to you, cannot force you to have an abortion if you don’t want one. You’re eighteen and are free to make your own choices about your own body.”
“He won’t—” I hiccupped, “care.”
“He will when I explain the laws to him,” she assured me. “Let me go talk to him, okay?”
Terrified but not knowing what to do, I just nodded for the third time since we’d gotten in that office. She stood to her feet and left the room. A minute later, a doctor stepped into the room. He handed me a cup of juice. “Drink this and take some deep breaths,” he gently instructed. “Everything will be okay.”
It sure didn’t feel like it. Letting a wobbly smile tilt my lips, I took the cup of juice from him. After he left, I just set it beside me. I feared anything I put in my stomach would just come right back up.
Dad was furious.
When he found out he couldn’t force me to have an abortion I didn’t want, he dragged me home and locked me in my room, refusing to even look at me. No one brought me water or food.
I was truly alone.
Curled up on my bed, I hugged my pillow tighter to my chest and let more tears slide down my cheeks.
There was no escaping my parents now, and I knew just because he couldn’t force me to get rid of this baby legally, he would find a way to get his way. He always did.
I cried harder, wrapping my arms around my belly, wishing I could protect this baby, but I didn’t know how.
12
Drake
I frowned down at my phone, staring at the string of messages I’d sent Elizabeth, too concerned and worried to focus on helping my dad today like I should have.
You just about ready for me to come pick you up?
I rode by your house and saw that your parents are home. We still good to go out?
Baby girl, I’m getting worried now. What’s going on?
Please at least tell me you’re okay. I’m worried sick about you.
All of my messages to her had gone unanswered and unopened. And the last time I’d tried to call, her phone was off. I hated that her parents were home because I knew she was restricted when they were. But she hadn’t done anything—not that they knew of—for her to be punished. I’d made sure of it. I was so fucking careful to make sure they couldn’t hurt her for anything.
I was overprotective of her, which meant I did my best to protect her from her abusive parents, too. And they were abusive. My girl may not be covered in their bruises, but her mind and emotions sure as fuck were. She had years of trauma buried under the surface.
Gritting my teeth, I shoved my feet into my boots and shoved my phone into my pocket before heading down the stairs. After grabbing my truck keys off the hook by the front door, I slipped outside. I was going to check on her, even if that meant I had to find a way to crawl through her bedroom window. Didn’t matter that it was on the second floor.
Where there was a will, there was a way. And I was one stubborn son of a bitch.
I started my truck and shot a quick text to Kaleb. My parents were out at the moment on a date, but there was a chance I wouldn’t be back before they got home. I needed to be with Elizabeth. My skin was crawling with it.
